biblia ( adaptation )
YE SHALL HAVE TRIBULATION TEN DAYS
In Revelation 2:10, the Holy Spirit tells the
Smyrna Church :
"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer :
Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may
be tried;
and ye shall have tribulation ten days:
Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of
life"
This has often been a puzzling passage, for many have tried to
discern what is meant by the phrase
"ten days".
Is this a literal 10 days or a figurative 10 days...what exactly
did the Holy Spirit mean when He said that ?
We know that there has been suffering, imprisonment and martyrdom
within the Church ever since the Church began. We also know that
all these persecutions are put upon the Church today---in these
last days,---especially in the Islamic and Communist countries.
Every day, around the globe, Christians are harassed, arrested,
jailed, beaten, tortured and killed.
There never has been a time on the globe when Christians weren't
persecuted.
" Yea, and all those that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution". 2 Timothy 3:12
We know for a fact that these persecutions last more than 10
days. For many , it involves a lifetime of intense suffering and
persecutions. Not only have there been severe persecutions and
executions of Christians in the past and in our present world,
but we are told from the Book of Revelations that the coming
world ruler and his 666 global government and religion will
overcome the saints during the last 42 months of this age...the
time known as the Great Tribulation.
"And power was given unto him to continue forty and two
months" Revelation 13:5
"And it was given unto him [the beast] to make war with the
saints, and to overcome them:
and power was given unto him over all kindreds and tongues and
nations." Revelation 13:7
"He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he
that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here
is the patience and the faith of the saints." Revelation
13:10
So therefore from the past, the present and even into the future,
we see time frames of suffering, imprisonment and death that
involve a lot more time than only 10 days.
So how are we to understand the meaning of the phrase "10
days"?
It is a possibility that the 10 days referred to in Revelation
2:10 is figuratively
applied. In other words, it is not a literal 10 days for those
undergoing persecution and death. Since it is not literal, it
involves any number of days and years of suffering.
But if the reference is figurative---meaning it represents
a "10 day period somewhere "--- of what 10 days is this
passage referring to?
It is our belief that the phrase "10 days" refers to
the liturgical time on the Church's calendar between Ascension
Thursday and Pentecost. Let's take a closer look.
FOUR HOLY
DAYS
Easter, Ascension Thursday, Pentecost and Yom Kippur
In the section called "Bringing in the Sheaves", it is clearly
explained that our Lord came for His newly
resurrected-Believers at Easter
("even") 33 AD. It involved a three day period. Since it has already been
explained in the "Sheaves" article, we will not repeat
that explanation here.
In the above mentioned article, it also explained how Our Lord
will come for His Bride at Midnight
( a possible Ascension Thursday season of Rapture). Since
no man knows the day nor the hour, no one can conclusively say
that the coming rapture will be on Ascension Thursday.
But we can say that during the season of Ascension and in that
time frame, there is a strong possibility of our home-going.
For 1 Thessalonians 5:1 tells us that we will
know the times and the seasons of the
raptures for the Church.
( Note the plural nouns, referring to more than one rapture.....)
"But of the times
and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that
I write unto you....
ye brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief." 1 Thessalonians 5:4
Which feast of Ascension of which year ? The only year we can
legitimately look for the Rapture is in the same season that the
man of sin sits in the temple showing that he is as god.
2 Thessalonians Chapter 2
When we see the man of sin sitting in the Temple as God, then we
are to "lift up our heads, for our redemption draweth
nigh".
At that point , we are to assemble ourselves together ... AS WE
SEE THE DAY
APPROACHING"
Hebrews 10:25 . We will know the DAY of our
departure.
AND ALSO
LATER
There is also the pre-wrath rapture ("cock-crowing").
It could possibly occur at the time and season of Pentecost (
within the Great Tribulation). Pentecost is called the Feast of
Harvest. Harvest is associated with the end of the Church Age. Matthew 13:30 and Matthew 13:
39, 30.
See also James 5:7-9
and also Revelation 14:15
Because antichrist will think to change times and seasons, that
date may get lost in the confusion of new "times". Daniel 7: 25
And finally, there will be the glorified, changed ( transfigured)
saints at the Millennial Morning (quite possibly Yom Kippur, but
no one really knows). Again, we cannot be specific here as to
what day Our Lord will come for His Remnant. Only time will tell.
We do feel that Yom Kippur has a role to play in the end times,
for that is the day of the "last trump"...the Shofar
Ha' Gadol. Please see www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/2elul.html
The Church's Holy Days follow a liturgical calendar. They are in
a sequence of time in the Church's calendar (which should also
include the Messianic Holy Days). It is Biblical to follow a
liturgical calendar, just as Israel follows the harvest-liturgy
of feast days. Leviticus 23.
The First two holy days are celebrated by the Christian
Church.... Easter and Ascension Thursday.
Pentecost is a feast celebrated by both Christians (including
Messianic Christians) and also by Orthodox Jews. Perhaps that is
why two loaves are waved before the Lord at Pentecost , to
symbolize the Jewish and Christian aspects to this one feast. We
believe they also symbolize the "two days" of the
Church Age. "A thousand years are as a day".
Yom Kippur is observed mostly by Orthodox Jews and Messianic
Christians.
Gentile Christians who have incorporated Romans Chapter Eleven
into their beliefs, also observe the meaning and future intent of
Yom Kippur.
WHY
ASCENSION THURSDAY ?
Now "Sheaves" shows forth the documentation of
why Easter was considered "even" in the four-way
interpretation of receiving our Glorified Bodies.
Why would Ascension Thursday be considered a season and a time to
look for the Midnight Rapture ?
Well to begin with, it is the next liturgical feast on the
Church's calendar, so that makes sense.
Then if we look to the Scriptures recorded that day, it says in
Acts 1:9.....
"And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He
was taken up (natzal, harpazo, raptured):
and a cloud
received
Him out of their sight."
Also in Acts 1:11 it says:
"This same Jesus, which is taken up (natzal, harpazo,
raptured) from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as
ye have seen Him go into heaven."
If our Lord returns for us in like manner ( descending and then
ascending in private revelation---unlike His public dramatic
return at the Second Coming), then that "same manner"
could also include that He could very well return for us on that
same calendar day, Ascension Thursday. After all, that is the
ONLY liturgical feast on the Church's calendar that celebrates
One being caught up to Heaven.(natzal, harpazo, raptured)
Easter celebrates the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. It is a
perennial testimony to the fact that we too who have suffered
with Him in this lifetime, shall have eternal life. We too will
come back from the dead, although a true Christian never in fact
really dies...."Believest thou this?" John 11: 25, 26 . The emphasis at Easter is
upon eternal life after "death". In all of the Easter
Biblical accounts, Our Lord is shown on earth---not ascending
into heaven.
If Jesus returns for us in like manner, as on Ascension Thursday,
it would also include the fact that a cloud would be present:
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together (natzal, harpazo, raptured) with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:17
These are some of the Scripture verses strongly indicating the
Midnight rapture at the season of the Ascension.
YOU KNOW
YOURSELVES WHAT SEASON
In 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2 we are told that the Church would KNOW
the timeS and the SeasonS. The main Season we speak of in this
study is the Easter Season...From Easter to Pentecost. The Easter
Season is key to the Rapture announcement in
1 Thessalonians 4:14 ....
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with Him."
Within the Easter Season, we have the time or season of the
Ascension and then the Easter Season ends with the time and
season of Pentecost. It is during that time frame that our
Rapture / Resurrections may well take place. ( Possible )
Another reason why we stress the term " times and
seasons" is because we believe that the Midnight Rapture
takes place over a two-day time period, concluding on the Third
day. Please see "Seventh Trumpet" for complete explanation.
That is why our Lord says that we cannot possibly know the day
nor the hour, for the event is not limited to just one day, nor
do we believe it is simultaneous...."each man in his
order" 1 Corinthians 15:23.
10 Liturgical
Days Between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost
"Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to
stand before the Son of Man' Luke 21:37
There are
ten liturgical days from
the feast of the Ascension of our Lord in Acts Chapter One to the
feast of Pentecost, Acts Chapter Two. During this section of the
liturgical season the Great Tribulation may well be represented .
.... the physical presence of Jesus was removed, and the
Comforter had not yet manifested Himself during those 10
liturgical days) This time period could well represent
the suffering Smyrna Church . These 10 days then could symbolize
the 3 and 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation---a time of great
persecution and suffering for Believers. "Ye shall have
tribulation 10 days", meaning: ye shall be persecuted during
a time of Great Tribulation. (there have been many great
tribulations throughout history).
"Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown
of life" Revelation 2:10
Even so, God never leaves His own without a hope. They have the
Blessed Hope of being raised up at the Cockcrowing Rapture /
Resurrection just before Armageddon. (Revelation 16:15 )
WHY
PENTECOST FOR A PRE-WRATH (CCR-Harvest) RAPTURE ?
"Pre-wrath" pertains to the time before the wrath of
God is poured out in the 7 vials of Revelation 16.
There will be people who were not ready at the time of the
Midnight Rapture, but who will have increased their Faith ( just
like Peter did at Pentecost ) who will go home at the time of the
Cockcrowing Rapture. It is always darkest just before dawn....
the time when the cock crows.
Possible reference for the Cockcrowing Rapture is found in Rev.
16:15.
The traditional celebration of the birthday of the Church is at
Pentecost. That is when the Holy Spirit came upon the Church in
mighty power and gifts. That is also when Peter got up before the
crowd and witnessed (evangelized) the Gospel (the atoning death
and resurrection of Jesus) to the nations (those present from all
the foreign countries). The Feast of Pentecost has always been
considered the birthing of the Church Age.
Acts Chapter 2.
It would follow in time-sequence, that that would be the season
of the pre-wrath (cock-crowing CCR ) rapture.
The Key of David
Jewish Tradition lends strong support for this possibility. It is
believed that King David--- whose ancestors married into the
Gentile line of Ruth the Moabitess--- was both born and deceased
on the day of Pentecost.
Reference: http://www.orthodox.co.uk/pentecos.htm
From the Talmud: http://www.shofar.org/shalom/9104_shavout.htm
So too, the Church Age would most likely begin and conclude at
the same time...Pentecost.
Yet God has provided a Blessed Hope even for those going through
the Great Tribulation. It is not a guarantee.... it is a hope. If
the Great Tribulation Believers survive the wholesale persecution
and martyrdom of the saints, and if they survive the wars,
diseases and myriad other plagues, and have never taken the Mark
of the
Beast , then they have the Blessed Hope of rising to be with the
Lord before the bitter end.....before the 7 vials of the wrath of
God are poured out upon mankind. Their rapture concludes the
Church Age.
After the Church is gone, there will only be the Jewish Remnant,
the Gentile-survivalist remnant, and all of the 1,000's of
antichrist followers---- those who took the 666 mark of the
Beast---all of these groups will remain on the planet.
For the rebellious, God has Armageddon in store. The final war on earth
will be so devastating that our Lord says that if He did not
return, there would be no survivors left on planet earth.
Matthew 24:22
God will protect His two remnant groups at that time [ Jewish
Believers and Gentile survivalists ] . And if any anti-God
persons survive the whole planetary Holocaust, then they will be
judged and condemned. Matthew 25:31--46.
But before the Messianic Millennial Age can begin, the Church Age
must be brought to a close, and that is why the final Remnant of
the Church is raptured out just before that period of time, at
the Cockcrowing Rapture.
biblia ( adaptation )
Notice this blessed
hope written into the last section of the Book of Revelation:
"Behold, I come AS
a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments,
lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."Revelation 16:15
.
If they are to watch, then they too must have a specific day to
look forward to.
This rapture involves our Lord coming AS
a thief
( He comes as a thief to the unbelieving, Jesus-rejecting world,
who think they have believers cornered) .
There is a strong possibility that this late home-going will be
at the season of Pentecost. That seems to be the logical
conclusion of the Church Age. Why wouldn't the rest of the world
know ? Because they don't believe it in the first place. And
secondly they will be on another calendar, not our
Judeo-Christian calendar.
"He will think to change times" Daniel 7:25.
PSALM 45 and REVELATION 7
These tribulation saints are more like bridesmaids (Psalm 45:
14...virgin companions
of the king's daughter). Those raptured before Armageddon will
participate in the Wedding Feast. (Revelation 19:7-9)
They will be worthy and walk in white. Revelation 3:4.
"And one of the elders answered, saying unto me:
"What
are these which are arrayed in white robes ? And whence came they
?
And I said unto him, "Sir, thou knowest."
And he said to me,"These are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb (Jesus).
"Therefore
are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in
His temple:
and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
"They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither
shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
For the Lamb (Jesus) which is in the midst of the throne shall
feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters:
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Revelation 7:13-17
Even though the Church Age ends prior to Armageddon, the"
times of the Gentiles" is not over until Armageddon is over.
Then the Messianic Millennial reign of Jesus Christ begins.
We will see come to pass these words for Scripture:
"The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our
Lord (God Jehovah), and of His Christ (Anointed one); and He
(Jesus) shall reign forever and ever."....
"We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and
wast, and art to come;
because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast
reigned." Revelation 11:15-17
GLORIFIED IN THE
MORNING
(MORNING GLORY)
Here is what Jesus said concerning His return from the Wedding
Feast with the Church:
"Let your loins be
girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like
unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the
wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him
immediately.
Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when He cometh shall
find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself,
and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve
them." Luke 12:35-37
This promise is for the Jewish REMNANT who so patiently waited
through the long night of the Great Tribulation for Messiah.
An incident in the Bible represents Jesus coming to meet His own
in the early hours.
It is told in Mark
6:45-54.
This passage shows how Jesus came to His followers in the midst
of a great storm.
He came
in the fourth watch .
Mark 13:26, 27
"And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds
with great power and glory."
"And then shall He send His angels. and shall gather
together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part
of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven.
Matthew 24:31 "And He shall send His angels with a GREAT
SOUND OF A TRUMPET (Shofar
Ha'Gadol),
and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other."
The last trump of Yom Kippur signals the time of Jubilee and
freedom. It is possible that the final translation in the
four-part series occurs at Yom Kippur:
"Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep. but
we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last trump:
for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, [ the resurrection of the
just ]
and we shall be changed." [from mortal
bodies to glorified immortal bodies]
"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality."
1 Corinthians 15:23
This would verify the fact that for the Jewish nation, their time
of salvation was after summer. (Jeremiah 8:20)
In Jeremiah's verse it says "and we are not saved".
That condition will only last until "every eye shall see
Him" and mourn. (Revelation 1:7 and Zechariah 12:10--14 and
Zechariah 13:6 )
We believe that that time will be the day of Yom Kippur.
EVERY MAN
IN HIS OWN ORDER
Thus we see the liturgical sequence of events.... the many
raptures and resurrections of Believers at the possible seasons
of Ascension Thursday, Pentecost and Yom Kippur (a translation /
transfiguration).
"But now is Messiah-Jesus risen from the dead, and become
the firstfruits [ bikkurim] of them that slept...in Messiah-Jesus
shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Jesus
Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Jesus Christ's at
His coming." 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
In what order do we become alive and rise ? In the liturgical
order on the Church's calendar.
"Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the
house cometh,
at even, or at midnight,
or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning." Mark 13:35
"And
if He shall come in the second watch (Midnight Rapture) or come
in the third watch (Cockcrowing), and find them so, blessed are
those servants." Luke 12:38
What our Lord is saying here in Luke 12:38 is the fact that for
the Jewish people, Messiah will definitely come in the fourth
watch (Millennial morning) . But how fortunate that for Messianic
Believers, Our Lord will come either at the Midnight Rapture or
the Cockcrowing Rapture, depending on their lamps. The Jewish
people do not have to wait through the long night of the Great
Tribulation until dawn. They can come to Messiah even now; and He
too will come for them.
IN SUM
Easter evening
, we believe, is when Jesus took His newly resurrected Believers
home to heaven. ( 33 AD )
Ascension Thursday will
be the season, we believe, that Jesus will bring us home at the Midnight
Rapture.
The final Pentecost of
the Church Age will be the rapture/ resurrection of those left
behind , we believe.
( CCR Harvest Rapture....just
before the millennial dawn)
And the JEWISH REMNANT will be glorified (transfigured) in the Millennial
morning. Please See SHEAVES.
Just as there are many
raptures, there are many resurrections .......
Four General
Resurrections: Mark 13:35
1 Corinthians 15:23
Even
Resurrection of Our Lord, plus sheaf of Believers --- Ephesians
3:8 (see Matthew 27:52, 53; Matthew 28)
Midnight
The Resurrection of the Bride and the Midnight Rapture (Matthew
25:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 )
Cockcrowing:
Resurrection of Tribulation
Saints: (Revelation 7:13-17, Rev. 14:15,16 )
pre-wrath rapture of those who remained --- Revelation 16:15; ;
Rev. 11:11
Please see www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/ch5sheaves.html
Morning:
"Resurrection of the Just" Luke 14:14
(Old Testament Saints, friends of the Bridegroom) Daniel 12:2.
Translation of Remnant into glorified bodies ( Transfiguration)
1 Corinthians 15: 51-53
These all
have part in the First Resurrection Revelation 20:5, 6
ALSO
There is a "resurrection of the damned"(John 5:29)
which takes place after the millennial reign
of Christ
(Revelation 20)
That is the "Second Death" Rev. 20:13-15
"Cast not away
therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will
of God,
ye might receive the promise.
For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and
will not tarry."
Hebrews 10: 35 - 37
Let us all therefore :
"Look up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth
nigh" Luke 21:28
Why is Elijah expected to
return at Passover ?
In Malachi 4:5 it says,
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the
coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD."
The Jewish Bible has three chapters of Malachi, so what we call
Malachi 4:5...they call Malachi 3:23.
Each year at Passover, the Seder dinner table has a reserved
setting for Elijah the prophet to return to earth at that time.
After the four cups of the Seder dinner have been received, there
is a fifth cup called the Cup of Elijah, received in expectation
of his return.
We know that this is a Jewish custom or tradition. But how did
this custom get started in the first place ?
Well each Sabbath day, there are certain prayers said and certain
Bible verses read. The Jewish sages long ago had portioned out
sections of the Torah for each Sabbath Day. This section per
Sabbath is called the "haftarah".
The portion of Malachi 4 fell upon the Great Sabbath (Shabbat
ha'Gadol) which is the Sabbath service preceding Passover.
Since every year the prophecy of Elijah's return was read and
pondered just prior to the celebration of Passover, then it
became customary to look for Elijah's return at Passover. Surely
God seems to indicate so, since nothing occurs by accident in
God's universe.
Here are some resources that explain more fully the reason why
Elijah is looked for at each Passover.
UAHC Table Talk
http://www.uahc.org/shabbat/stt/3pinchas.shtml
The Messianic
Times
http://www.messianictimes.com/article_detail.asp?article=595§ion=24
From the Talmud
http://www.aish.com/holidays/passover/articles/cup_of_elijah.asp
At our home, we place TWO extra
table settings for the
two witnesses of Revelation
Chapter Eleven.
We believe that those two witnesses are Elijah and John the Revelator.
When Elijah returns at Passover, will that be considered
"the midnight cry" of Matthew 25: 6 ?
It is something to consider.
Articles on the
Rapture: ( complete list
of 11 articles on the Rapture )
Enoch and Elijah ...raptures
proven in Scripture
Sheaves ...."
evening, midnight, cockcrowing and morning" .... Mark 13:35
The Seventh
Trumpet ... the Midnight Rapture ....one long
day
The Blessed Hope ...false
doctrine of immanency
Coming to Terms .... explaining
the words that concern the raptures
2 Thessalonians
2 .... man of sin sitting in temple first,
before the rapture
The Midnight
Hour ..... precisely at midnight
The Cockcrowing
Rapture ......" one will be taken and the
other left "
Ye Shall Have
Tribulation 10 Days .... the liturgical calendar
for events
. The Maiden on the
Shore
by
J A Seiss ..." I come quickly"
Article on Ascension Day Rapture
http://www.chn-net.com/watcher/teachings/bible_school/rapture_class_4.html
Bible www.blueletterbible.org
Salvation www.cybertime.net/~ajgood/sal.htm